Front-Runner

Barack Obama, saluting American troops in Iraq for "making America safer":

Barack Obama, three years ago, preaching chapter and verse on how U.S. forces in Iraq had made America "less safe":

The excellence of our military is unmatched. But as a result of this war, our forces are under pressure as never before. Our National Guard and reserves have half of the equipment they need to respond to emergencies at home and abroad. Retention among West Point graduates is down. Our powers of deterrence and influence around the world are down. That is a cost of this war.

America’s standing has suffered. Our diplomacy has been compromised by a refusal to talk to people we don’t like. Our alliances have been compromised by bluster. Our credibility has been compromised by a faulty case for war. Our moral leadership has been compromised by Abu Ghraib. That is a cost of this war.

Perhaps the saddest irony of the Administration’s cynical use of 9/11 is that the Iraq War has left us less safe than we were before 9/11. Osama bin Ladin and his top lieutenants have rebuilt a new base in Pakistan where they freely train recruits, plot new attacks, and disseminate propaganda. The Taliban is resurgent in Afghanistan. Iran has emerged as the greatest strategic challenge to America in the Middle East in a generation. Violent extremism has increased. Terrorism has increased. All of that is a cost of this war.

He left out foot fungus, submarining drivers who always try to cut you off on the freeway, mange, and the buttered side of the bread always falling on the carpet.  Almost as if we would have been safer doing nothing after 9/11, or precisely what led to....9/11.  But now, two years after the Surge crushed al Qaeda, when the insurgency is essentially over, and it's time to dispense credit where credit is due, The One pats himself on the back:

Ensign Ed's talley: "Total mentions of Bush: zero. Total mentions of victory: zero. Total mentions of “I” in speech: six..."

But did anyone really expect anything like graciousness or contrition or crow-eating to come from this scavenging jackal?  Heck, if he had just complimented our men and women in uniform and left it at that nobody would have said anything about it.  But Narciss must wallow in glory, especially if it's someone else's.  And if pulling out even the 50,000 troops left to advise the nascent Iraqi army by the end of next year gives the green light for Iran and Syria to invade and conquer Iraq?  Count on the Li'l Generalissimo to suddenly remember the name of his punching bag predecessor.

Fortunately, Speaker-in-waiting Boehner has stocked up on a huge supply of Wheaties for the long country-saving struggle that lies ahead....